First, I need help finding a nice, catchy name for my business. I was thinking *mylastname*tack or circlektack and names including my area, rivers near me, and natural landmarks I can see from my house. My dad was thinking of sharptack but that domain name is already used. I’ve also considered my name and my dad’s names combined or the initials of all my family’s horses. I also came up with some corny names that are boring and are not catchy. I need all the help I can get!
Second, my dad said that if I want to get a lot of business i need to have a least 1 thing that I “specialize” in. Like, I could never get as popular as stateline tack, valleyvet, rods, …. So, I need one thing that makes my business special and worth buying tack from. I am thinking of two things that I could “invent” but I have no idea how to get started about that. Any ideas as to that one special thing or how to go about inventing the things I have in mind?
Third, how to get known. read details below…
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Having started businesses before, I have a little bit of advice about names.
It may seem silly, but you might not want to choose a name that limits you to one particular geographic area. Naming your business “X City Tack” will be a problem if you ever decide to expand, or move.
Don’t limit yourself, either. For example, what if you choose a very Western theme and over the years, you find that there are really not so many good English stores near you and a lot of English riders come to your shop for basic supplies like brushes, etc. And you think, gee, I should expand to English but your business name totally doesn’t fit. (It may not seem like a big deal to change a name, but trust me. Once you have all your domain names/business licenses/vendor accounts/credit cards/business bank accounts/etc. in one particular name, it is NOT EASY to try and change your business name!
So I would advise choosing something ‘generic’, meaning that it doesn’t obviously point to one thing/discipline/area. Take Dover Saddlery. That name doesn’t limit them at all.
Dover is a name that is also unique in the horse world. Something like “Circle K Tack”…. to me that sounds run of the mill.
I can’t tell you exactly what your business name should be but if you brainstorm over it long enough you will find it. A family name is a good place to start.
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You do have to start with some sort of niche. Otherwise there is no way to compete against the big boys (Dover, Stateline, Jeffers, etc etc.)
Offering classes is an awesome way to get people in the store. (I’m assuming you will have a storefront… you didn’t specify.) Customers aren’t about to get a free live clinic on how to braid or clip from Dover. Or saddle fitting. Or how to properly clean tack. Or…. the list goes on. (Many of these “expert” clinics, you can arrange for vendor sales reps to come out and do them at no cost.) If you can find a storefront with space for horses to be on the property at least some of the time, that’s something really unique you can offer.
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Customer service is paramount. Too many small businesses focus on the dollars when it comes to customer service. They don’t want to take returns past a certain date, they don’t want to offer a discount to the pony clubbers, they won’t haggle with the customer who asks for a deal.
In retail it’s all about volume. Moving the inventory. If you have to slash a price to get it to move, do it. If you have to take a return you don’t want to keep that customer happy, you do it. You do whatever it is to make each and every person that comes to you extremely happy to have patronized you, and you will do well. It’s not worth losing a customer over a few dollars.
Retail is not easy, with anything. Small profit margins and a lot of work and dealing with a lot of customers. But if you’re passionate about it and can really give it your all every day you can do it.
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As far as inventions, oh boy. It’s not easy. That’s a whole other ball game, my friend. There is no easy way, you have to get out there and find ways to create prototypes and find manufacturers and figure it out from scratch, one piece at a time. I don’t have much advice to offer there, since I’ve got lots of ideas and nothing to show for them, lol!
I can’t help much with first and second…
But as for third, one of my friends runs a business out of her trailer selling tack and stuff. She goes to most of the high school rodeos and all the big barrel races and just sets up a booth. People walking by see her stock, buy things, take a business card, pass it along to friends. Just about everybody knows her and she’s been doing this for a little over three years.
Hope this helps!
I have no experience with business things, except for my hs business class. lol.
Anyways, I really like Circle Tack. It’s catchy. See if it’s already used though. The local natural stuff is also good also.
as far as advertising goes, i’d do the craigslist thing, you could also start up something on ebay. You can also go to horsetopia.com or dreamhorse.com and put an ad up there.
see if tehre aren’t any local shoes coming up, and you could maybe set up a table there advertising.
Coming from a buyers point of view i look for names regarding colors, crystals, fun things like that.
because you know when you go to shows there will be little girls, with dads with money. and Im not saying this to be greedy but its true. I buy so much stuff from shows that i still have piles of things with price tags on them.
Something like – if you wanted to do like fun tack with colors, crystals etc.
Fancy Horse tack
Dancing Diamond Horse tack
Glim Glam horse tack.
something catchy like that and put “Bling up the show ring”
IF your planning to do anything colorful.
You could do.
Some kind of cool flyspray. Have the bottle be colorful and creative. with a tinted purple, or whatever color flyspray
Colorful horse hoof polish
Sparkle Bands. GIRLS WOULD LOVE THESE and parents would buy them
Colorful tail bags, sleezys
Plaid bell boots etc.
Leather swarvaski tack.
Pony size items. ( I know im always looking for these for one of my horses back home.)
To get known Get involved with 4H clubs, Once you get your website running let me know. I could pass out fliers at my towns 4H club to the kids and post them on bulletin boards. You’d have to mail me a copy or something of the fliers or fax them but i’d have no problem sending them out at shows and stuff.
i’m wanting my own bizz, and havent thought as much as you have, but may have some suggestions.
profit/getting known: dont go out and get everything at once, start off specialized (like you’re dad suggested get really good at one or two things.) and grow from there. go out and find the best prices on 4-8 items, and go around to shows and things in you’re area and get you’re name out there that way.
also, a bizz person once told me: people love free things. give them free stuff and they’ll be more likely to want to check out more items. go out and get samples of stuff (like shampoos, leather oils, ect, small stuff that isnt too expensive, just to give the people a taste of what you’re offering) and put them in small bottles with you’re bizz’s name on it. when they use it later on people who see them at the barn will see you’re bizz’s name. go around the show grounds and give out the free samples or come up with cupons for money off items to get them to come over to you’re area (it is a great idea to have a trailer, i know i go to all the trailers selling things at the show and grab bizz cards) oh yeah, dont forget bizz cards, hand them out as well.
you never know how far you can go, everyone has to start somewhere. if you do “invent” something, make sure to get a paton on it, i do believe there is a website/company that does that for people, but i havent ever looked into it.
i’m sure i could brainstorm more, if ya want any other suggestions, just drop me a line.
name wise.. i cant really think of any.. maybe your last name like ur first idea.. but only if it sounds good. maybe something like “your city” tack shop.. Ex: Los Angeles Tack or Nashville Tack or w/e city you live in.
i cant help with number two (sorry)
how to get known:
i was just at a horse show, and what some people did was they had a larger trailer, like what you haul stuff with. and they opened the side and back doors. And it was full of tack. and you could go to smaller shows and do that. or make business cards (not flyer’s.. business cards are more professional)
and im not sure how to help out with the rest. sorry